Conductor-grip.



R. B. BENJAMIN.

CONDUCTOR GRIP.

APPucATmNHLED APR.19.19|2.

1,206,085-, Patnted Nov. 28, 1916.

` a citizen of the United the following is a rmrrnn s'rn'rns rArnNT OFFICE REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MFG. COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLIN CONDUCTOR-GRIP.

I T o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, -Rnunu B. BENJAMIN, States, residing at Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Conductor-Grips, of which full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this speci'cation.

My invention pertains to conductor grips, and particularl to conductor grips as employed in connection with pendant' electrical devices, such for instance as pendant switches or sockets.

It is the object of my invention to provide a conductor grip which will .perform its' Y function efficiently and reliably,

and which will be of a simple and economical construction.

I have described in the following specification, and shown in the accompanying drawings, a conductor grip as applied to a pendant switch of the kind described in my pending application Serial No. filed November 18th, 1910, of which this application is a division. It is to be under'- stod, however, that .my invention may be employed in connection with electrical devices other than pendant switches, and that changes may be made in the construction of the conductor grip which I have described and shown, without exceeding the scope of my invention as Adeiined in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pendant switch provided with a conductor grip constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is an elevationof the same, partly in section, upon an enlarged scale, the section being taken on the ine 2-2 y taken on the line of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a partially sectional view the same, the section being taken on the line 3`3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a. sectional plan, the section being 4 4 of Fig. 2..

In the cnstruction shown `in the drawings, 12 designates the upper, and 13 the lower, portion of a two-part cylindrical casing, the parts of which are adapted to be secured together by means of threaded portions 14 and 15, respectively, with which they are formed. This'casing contains an insulating base 16, or cylindrical form, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

v casing part 12 is OIS A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

lower end of which carriesthe switch mechanism, which latterris of the kind describedin my pending application referred to above, and does not, therefore, require description here. The base is securely held between the upper and lower portions of the casing,

when these portions are secured together,

and is prevented from rotation with respect to the casing, by means of an inwardlyA extending projection 13, ing portion 13 is provided, which projectionv enters a correspnding recess 16 ormed in Patented Nov. ze, 191e.

1910, Serial No. 592,989. Divided and this .application leclv April 19,1912. Serial 110.691,967.

with which the cas-1 the lower part of the base 16. The upper4 .Y

end of the base 16 is formed with a recesses 17 and@ 18 respectively t rough which the conductors by which the switch aireof is suspended are led to binding terminals 19 p and 2O which are connected with the contacts which are to be bridged by the switch.v The recesses 17 and 18 are disposed so as to i which form shoulders whichare adapted 'to 4bind against the conductors entering'the revcesses'l' and 18, as will now be described.

form between them a neck 21, the edges of An insulating disk 22 is placed in the part 12 of the casing, of the base 16, and is above the upper end prevented from falling out of the casing, when thel 'parts thereof are separated, by an inwardly extendingbead 23 with which the casing art 12 is formed. The disk 22 is provided with a central aperture 24, through which the conductors may pass, in entering the recesses 17rand 18. The

formed at its upper vend with an open ended conical head 25 containing a pair of bers 26.. The gripping members 26 are made so as to form, between of, an elliptical opening having gripping edges 27, between which thet..conductors,

shown in dotted' lines 1n Fig. 3 and *desig-t nated as 28 and 29 respectively, are .securely grasped when the gripping members 26 are forced -up into the head 25 by the pressure eizerted by the base 16 when the fcasingrparts` 12 and 13 are screwed together. IGeil springs E30-are inserted between the grippmg meminsulating gripping mem' the upper ends therebers 26and tend to force them apart, s0`

ing are separated and the insit ting base moved, and the insulating disk22 falls upon the bead 23, the gripping members 26 may be separated, by the springs 30, Vto pro sufficient room between them for the inserthat, when the parts 12 and pilot the casvide" tion or withdrawal of the conductors 2S and 29.

Supposing that the casing parts 12 and 13 have been separated and the insulating base 16 withdrawn vthat the insulating disk 22 is resting upon the bead 23; and that the gripping members 2G have been separated by the springs 3G and are resting upon the disk it will be seen that the conductors 28 and 29 may be inserted easily through upon the disk .22, and tlr the wide space between the gripping inemvbers 26 and through the opening of the vdisk 22, into the recesses 1T and 18 ot the base 16. Wvhen this has been done, the base --15 16 may be replaced in the casing, the slack bers 26 in the conical head these members will be forced together and the conductors 28 and 29 will therefore be securely gripped between the gripping edges 27 of these members." At the same time the conductors28 30 and 29 are separately gripped between the edges of the neck 217 between the recesses v17' and 18, and the edge or" the' aperture 24; in the disk 22, the aperture 2e being made of a convenient size Afor this purpose. rilhe conductors are therefore gripped at two points, the double cord made up of the con- .ductors 28 and 29 beingigripped between. the edges 27 of the members 26, and the separate conductors being gripped between the 40 edges of the neck 21 and the edge of the aperturev 2i in the disk By this means very secure holding of the conductors is oi tained,` since, even if the grip eliected by the edges 27 of the members 26, should fail,

the conductors will still secured between the edges' of the neck 2i and the edge of the aperture 24 in fthe disk The danger or" strain being" imparted to the binding terminais is thus entirely precluded.

450 .v Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let- ,ters Patent, is: u y l. A11 electrical fixture comprising a binding terminal for a conductor, a conductor grip comprising a plurality of members adapted to grasp the conductor between them when said members are forced together, releasable means for forcing said members together, and means for separating said inembers when said last-named means is released. 2,:An electrical fixture comprising a bindY ing terminal for a conductor, a conductor grip comprising a pair of oppositely dis- Iposed members adapted to grasp the cz'n lductor between them when said members :incense are forced together, releasable means for 'forcing said members together, and springs disposed between said members .tor separating the same when said last-.named means is released.

. in an electrical device, an insulating member, casing means therefor ,includingr two separably connected parts, pair of conductor gripping members mounted in one of said parts and means for retaining said gripping members in said part, said means .comprising an insulating disk permanently 5. In an electrical device, the combina? tion with casing means comprising a pair of endwise separable portions, of a conductor-carrying member disposed in said casing, a plurality of conductor-gripping members mounted in one of said casing portions, means for lforcing said conductor-gripping members together in gripping engagement with a cord 'when one ofsaid casing portions moved toward the other,means tending to normally separate said. conductor gripping members, and means for securing said conductor gripping members in position when said casing portions are separated.

6. In a cord grip, the combination with a, cone-shaped casing, of a plurality of wedgeshaped gripping members fitting therein between which a conductor cord is gripped, and means for forcing said members in said casing to cause them to move together to .grip the cord, and meanstending to normally separate said gripping members.

7. in a cord grip, the combination with a coneshapled casing, of a plurality of wedge` shaped gripping members fitting therein, between which a conductor 'cord is gripped, means for forcing said members in said casing to'cause them to move together laterally to grip the cord, a member having an opening therein through which the cord is adapted to pass, a member having a projection adapted to be forced between. and spread said conductors and to force them against the edges of said opening to individually grip the conductors of the cord.-

8. In cord grip for grippinga plurality i of conductors, the combination with a cas ing, of a plurality of wedge-shaped gripping members, means whereby said members are neeenee forced together by Wedging engagement with said casing te grip the conductors coilectivei a, member having e eemeia opening, an insulating base having n projection for interposition between the conductcis and foi forcing them individnaily into gripping engegement with the Waiis ci said center opening.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with e casing having a conicai extension at its top, of n pniei ity of Wedge-shaped gripping nienibeis for gripping a, piuraiity of conductors a1'- ranged in said extension and adapted to be moved latereily together into gripping engagement with seid conclu-cime eoiectively by being forced into seid casing,

an insulating disk having e central opening and arranged beneath said gripping members, an insulating conductor-@laying base 29 having a projection 'thereon insetibie between the individual coniiuctors enci for', fencing seid conuctois into gripping en gngenient with the'wnlis of said central opening, and nieans'ior forcing the base into the 25 top of the casing to cause the cord and con: dilater-gripping members ie operate.

n witness whereof, have heeunto subsci'ined my name in the presence of two Wit- 

